Thread advancing reel having spray and drain devices



Oct. 30, 1951 H. A. KULJIAN 2,573,578

THREAD ADVANCING REEL HAVING SPRAY AND DRAIN DEVICES Filed May 17, 1950 2 SHEET$SHEET 1 INVENTOR. fiQIRm A. /fuz JIAN A TTORN E Y Oct. 30, 1951 KULJIAN 2,573,578

THREAD ADVANCING REEL HAVING SPRAY AND DRAIN DEVICES Filed May 17, 1950 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 JNVENTOR. A/PRY 4. K04 m x/v ATTORNE Y Patented Oct. 30, 1951 THREAD ADVANCING REEL HAVING SPRAY AND DRAIN DEVICES Harry Asdour Kuljian, Merion, Pa.

Application May 17, 1950, Serial No. 162,579

8 Claims. (Cl. 68-205) In the manufacture, or in the-processing, of a filament, the filament is wound about the receiving end of a threat storing and advancing reel and, while the filament is moving aiongthe reel, it is subjected to, treatment by various liquids. with, or without being dried, before leaving the discharge end of the reel. The excess liquids used in treating the filament must be removed, and, because it is profitable to reclaim the partly spent liquids for re-use, it is desirable to remove the liquids in as nearly segregated fashion as possible.

It is therefore one object of the invention to produce improved means for removing liquids used in the treatment of a filament.

The filament moves longitudinally of the reel in the form of a helix circumscribing all of. the rolls and it is desirable that the convolutions of the helix be maintained in spaced relation so as to prevent the formation of bands or bundles which interfere with the proper processing of the filament and with the proper operation of the reel. Due to variations in the tension or of the friction factor, the filament convolutions will,

from time to time, become closely packed and tend to form bands. To avoid this, it has heretofore been proposed to make the rolls in the form of a screw, that is, to provide the rolls with a helical thread for receiving the convolutions of the filament and keeping them spaced. If the pitch or lead of the thread is large, the number of turns or convolutions, per unit length, is decreased and, if the pitch is small, the friction factor becomes excessive. Other disadvantages of this type of construction can be mentioned.

Also, removing the treating liquids through pipes extending above or projecting from either end of the reel with, or without pumps, detracts from the compactness and practicability of the machine.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to produce improved means whichwill be operative to remove excess liquids and to conteract the tendency of the filament convolutions to form objectionable bands.

These and other objects are attained by my invention as set forth in the following specification and as shown in the accompanying drawings in which 18. 1 is a side elevational view of a filament storing and advancing reel embodying my inventlon.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view looking in the direction of line 2-2 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view of the central and lower por- 2 tion of Fig. 2 but showing the parts in a different position from that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the means for removing liquids and for separating the filament convolutlons Fig. 5 is a fragmentary and diagrammatic view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating the manner of operation.

The reel illustrated includes a number of rolls l0, ll, l2, l3, l4, I5, I! and II the opposite ends 7 of which are journalled for rotation-in conven tional, self aligning bearings, not shown, carried by end plates I8 and 24. The end plate. 20 is supported by a suitable frame 22 and carries a center post 24 which supports end plate IS. The rolls are rotated about their individual axes, by means of a'motor M which drives a central gear 26 which meshes with gears 28 carried by the rolls lll--|l.- The axes of therolls are skewed relative to the axis-of center post 24 whereby, when the lead end of a filament 30 is wound about the receiving, or right hand end of the reel as viewed in Fig. 1, the filament will move, in the form of a helix, toward the other, or discharge end of the reel. The filament may be one already manufactured but is to be processed or it may be freshly formed by extruding an-appropriate solution through a spinnerette 3: into a coagulating bath 33. conventionally, the filament is passed over a guide wheel 34 and one or more godet wheels 36, before being wound about the receiving end of the reel. The godet wheel may be driven by any suitable means such, for example, as by albeit, 38 engaging a pulley 39 on the shaft of the motor and a pulley 40 on the shaft which supports the godet wheel 36.

As the filament moves across the reel, it is subjected to treatment by various liquids, such as acids, alkalis, soap and water washes etc. which are delivered'through a series of spaced pipes Pl, P2, P3, P4, P5, etc. and near the discharge end of the reel the filament is subjected to heat, from a scource not shown, to dry the same.

The freely fiowing excess liquids delivered to the filament as it moves over sucessive zones of the reel drop, by gravity, from rolls l4 and H. The liquids adhering to the rolls, in the form of a film, are partially scraped off the inner faces of these rolls by means of scrapers 46 which abut the inner surfaces of the rolls as clearly shown in Fig. 2. l

The structure so far described forms no part of the present invention and is merely set forth as background for a proper undcrstandingof the awaavs invention. It is suillcient for the purpose of this invention to keep in mind that as the filament traverses successive zones along the reel difierent liquids are delivered to the filament and that it is desirable to collect the partly spent residual liquids in segregated fashion.

To this end I provide a trough 44 located below rolls l and I1 and divided, by partitions 41 into a number of compartments 48, 49, 50, 52, 53 and 54, etc., corresponding to the number of the difierent liquids used. ,For example, the liquid delivered from pipe Pl will collect in com partment 49, that delivered from pipe P2 will collect in compartment 5| and so on. Fixed pipes or tubes 58, 59, 60, 6|, 62, 63 and 64 lead from compartments 48 to 54 respectively, these pipes being bent so as to pass around center post 24 as shown in Fig. 2.

To connect tubes 58 to 64 to points of disposal or reclamation outside the reel by means of pipes which project from one end of the reel or the other would make the machine clumsy, awkward and heavy, and will detract from its practicalility. Furthermore, because of the driving gears 26 and 28, no passage can be had through end plate 20. To pass the drain pipes through end plate l8 will increase the overall length of the machine and will present an unsightly appearance. Also, it will make removal of end plate I! extremely laborious and expensive.

To overcome this difliculty, I provide pipes 58a, 58a, 68a, 6|a, 62a, 63a and 64a, corresponding to pipes 58 to 64. Pipes 60a to 64a have their upper portions enlarged so as to have overlapping or telescoping relation to the pipes 58 to 64. In other words the lower ends of pipes 58, to 64 merely extend into, but do not in any way engage the upper portions of pipes 58a to 64a.

In order to avoid spilling the various liquids on the filament as it moves over lowermost rolls l3 and I4, it is necessary that the lower ends of pipes 56a to 64:; pass downwardly below the path of movement of the filament. To this end, the lower ends of these pipes are flattened so as to have a cross sectional thickness substantially equal to the spaces which normally exist between the convolutions of the filament. In practice, the flattened ends 66 of the tubes can have a cross sectional thickness of of one inch or less.

By this arrangement, liquids collecting in the compartments of trough 44 are delivered, by means of pipes 58 to 64 and 58a to 6411, to another trough 44a, located below the reel and divided by partitions 41a into compartments corresponding to compartments 48 to 54. From the compartments of trough 44a, drain pipes 18, only one of which is shown in Fig. 4, lead to points of reclamation or of disposal.

During the lacing operation, that is, while the filament is being wound about the reel, it is necessary that the lower. fiat ends 66 of pipes 58a to ado not protrude into the path of move ment of the filament convolutions.

Therefore, I have provided means for moving the pipes 580. to 64a to the upper position of Figs. 3 and 5 or to the lower position of Figs. 1, 2 and 4. To this end, pipes 58a to 64a are carried by a bar 12 which is engaged by any suitable member, such as yoke 14 fixedly carried on shaft 16. The shaft 16 is journalled in a bearing 18 which is suspended, by arm or strap 19 from center post 24, as shown in Fig. 2, and is rotatable by means of a suitable handle 80 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

By this arrangement, when shaft 16 is turned to move clamp 14 to the horizontal position of Figs.

2 and 4, the lower ends of pipes 58a to 64a will move to their lower positions in which they project between the filament convolutions as shown in these figures. Conversely, when the shaft is turned to move yoke 14 to the tilted position of Figs. 3 and 5. the pipes 58a to 64a will move to their upper position in which their lower ends are disposed radially inwardly of the path of movement of the filament.

Because of variations in the moisture on different rolls, or on difierent portions of the rolls, or because of variations in the denier, texture, or other factors, one or more of the filament convolutions may, from time to time, fail to progress along the reel at the same rate as adjacent convolutions and, when this happens, a band, or bundle, is formed which interferes with the progress and with the processing of the filament. The formation of such bands can be prevented, or at least minimized, by providing spacers at intervals along the path of the filament. By the structure above described, the fiat ends 66 of pipes 58a to 64a, which protrude, at intervals, between the filament convolutions, serve as spacers which counteract the tendency of the filament convolutions to bunch together or form a band. In other words, the pipes 58a to 64a serve to dispose of excess liquids in a segregated fashion and also serve as spacers for the filament.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a filament processing apparatus of the type which includes a filament storing and advancing reel formed of a number of spaced, horizontally disposed rolls arranged in a circle about a central axis, with the axes of the rolls skewed relative to said axis, means for rotating said rolls about their axes whereby a filament wound about one end of said reel will, upon rotation of said rolls, move in the form of a helix circumscribing all of said rolls, from one end of said reel toward the other end thereof, and means for delivering a liquid to said filament I during its movement along an upper roll of said reel, of a receiver disposed below said upper roll and inwardly of the peripheries of said rolls for collecting such liquid as may fall off said upper roll, and a conduit leading from said receiver and extending downwardly in registration with the space between adjacent lower rolls of said reel to discharge liquid through said space.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 together with means mounting said conduit for vertical movement relative to the axes of said lower rolls.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 together with means mounting said conduit for vertical movement to an upper position in which the lower end 01 said conduit is located inwardly of the convolutions of said helix, and to a lower V position in which the lower end of said conduits projects between adjacent convolutions of said helix.

4. The combination with a filament processing apparatus of the type which includes a filament storing and advancing reel formed of a number of spaced, horizontally disposed rolls arranged in a circle about a central axis, with the axes of the rolls skewed relative to said axis, means for rotating said rolls about their axes whereby a filament wound about one end of said reel will, upon rotation of said rolls, move, in the form of a helix circumscribing all of said rolls, from one end of said reel toward the other end thereof, and means for delivering a liquid to said filament during its movement along an upper roll of said reel. of a receiver disposed below said upper roll and inauras" wardly of the peripheries of said rolls for collecting such liquid as may fall ofl said upper roll, a drain leading from said receiver; a conduit having telescoping relation at its upper end with said drain and having its lower end disposed in the space between adjacent lower rolls of said reel for conducting liquid from said drain and discharging it through said space between said lower rolls.

5. The structure recited in claim 4 together with means mounting said conduit for vertical movement and means for moving said conduit to an upper position in which the lower end of said conduit is located inwardly of said helix, and to a lower position in which the lower end of said conduit is disposed between adjacent convolutions of said helix.

6. The combination with a filament processing apparatus of the type which includes a filament storing and advancing reel formed of a number upon rotation of said rolls, move, in the form 01' a helix circumscribing all of said rolls, from one end 0! said reel toward the other end thereof, and means for delivering difierent liquids to said filament as it moves through successive zones along an upper roll of said reel, of a receiver disposed below 'said upper roll and inwardly of the peripheries of said rolls, means dividing said receiver into compartments corresponding to said zones for receiving such liquids as may fall ofi said zones, and conduits leading from said compartments and extending downwardly in registration with the space between adjacent lower rolls of said reel for discharging said liquids through said space.

HARRY ASDOUR KULJIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,416,534 Naumann Feb. 25, 1947 

